Thin Films and Interfaces
A section of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944).
Section Information
The use of nanometer to micrometer thickness thin film materials is widespread for technological applications, spanning from electronics through medicine. Thin film materials are able to exhibit a greater number of vastly different structural, chemical, electrical, optical, and mechanical properties compared to their corresponding bulk counterparts due to the choice of substrate or underlying material, the material deposition and fabrication process, and the resulting variations in crystal phase, disorder and defects within poly-/nano-crystalline and amorphous materials, strain, and composition. The very nature of thin films involves the formation of interfaces, including that with the substrate, underlying or overlying layers, and/or the ambient. These interfaces and interfacial regions may exhibit additional variations due to confinement, bonding configurations, chemical composition, exposure to ambient, physical mixing, and the morphology present. To enhance our understanding of the nature of thin films and interfaces, topics in this section include but are not limited to:
- Materials Fabrication and Modeling:
- Thin film growth:
- Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE);
- Physical vapor deposition (PVD) and Sputtering;
- Pulsed laser deposition (PLD);
- Thermal and electron beam evaporation;
- Atomic layer deposition (ALD);
- Chemical vapor deposition (CVD);
- Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD);
- Solution methods and hybrid approaches;
- Material post-deposition preparation, annealing, etching, and chemical treatments;
- Theoretical and computational modeling of surfaces and interfaces.
- Characterization and Process–Property Relationships:
- Identification of links between measured thin film and interface structural, chemical, electrical, optical, and mechanical properties with variations in fabrication conditions;
- Epitaxial layers, nanocrystalline and polycrystalline materials, and amorphous films;
- High surface area systems, including colloids, nanoparticles, grain boundaries, engineered thin films;
- Surface science of catalysis, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis;
- Mechanics and nanomechanics of thin layers;
- Thin film growth mechanisms;
- In situ measurements and surface-sensitive measurements;
- Condensed matter thin film behavior.
- Device Applications:
- Impact of thin film and interface properties on functionality for electronic, optical, opto-electronic, photovoltaic, display, sensing, functional coating (metallurgical, protective, and hard layers; metallic, inorganic, organic, and composite coatings; superhydrophobic surfaces), and biological/biomedical applications (Langmuir–Blodgett, biological, related films).
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Advanced Multifunctional Coatings for New Applications (Deadline: 20 September 2024)
- Research on Tribological Coatings (Deadline: 20 September 2024)
- Current Research in Thin-Film Deposition: From Principles and Technologies to Film Properties and Applications (Deadline: 20 September 2024)
- Recent Progress on Thin 2D Materials (Deadline: 20 September 2024)
- Friction, Corrosion and Protection of Material Surfaces (Deadline: 20 September 2024)
- Advances in Thin Films Materials: Properties, Characterization, Physical Vapor Deposition and Application (Deadline: 10 October 2024)
- Advanced Two-Dimensional Materials: Characterization, Defect-Engineering, and Applications (Deadline: 20 October 2024)
- Advances in Electronic Films: Preparation, Characterization, and Applications (Deadline: 20 October 2024)
- Metal Coatings for Wear and Corrosion Applications (Second Edition) (Deadline: 20 October 2024)
- Advances in Thin Films for Solar Energy Devices (Deadline: 20 October 2024)
- Surface Technology and Coatings Materials (Deadline: 30 October 2024)
- Development and Application of Novel Membranes (2nd Edition) (Deadline: 20 November 2024)
- Surface Modifications and Coatings for Metallic Materials (Deadline: 20 November 2024)
- The Microstructures and Advanced Functional Properties of Thin Films (Deadline: 20 November 2024)
- Advanced Materials and Technologies for Thermal Sprayed Coatings (Deadline: 20 November 2024)
- New Advances in Superhydrophobic Materials: Fabrication, Characteristics and Applications (Deadline: 10 December 2024)
- Advanced Thin Films and 2D Materials: Mechanism, Fabrication, Characterization and Application (Deadline: 20 December 2024)
- Electrical and Optical Properties of Metal Oxide Thin Films (Deadline: 20 December 2024)
- Advanced Coating Research for Metal Surface Protection (Deadline: 20 December 2024)
- Functional Nanomaterials and Their Ferroelectric, Magnetic or Optical Behavior (Volume II) (Deadline: 20 December 2024)
- Advancements in Thin Film Deposition Technologies (Deadline: 20 December 2024)
- Preparation of Thin Films by PVD/CVD Deposition Techniques (Deadline: 20 January 2025)
- Surface Modification of Materials for Multifunctional Applications (Deadline: 20 January 2025)
- Mechanical and Thermal Characterization of Novel Thermal Barrier Materials (Deadline: 20 February 2025)
- Recent Advances and Emerging Challenges in Functional Coatings (Deadline: 20 February 2025)
- Corrosion and Tribological Behaviour of Materials (Deadline: 20 March 2025)
- New Technique for Preparing Thin Film: Characteristic and Further Development (Deadline: 20 March 2025)
- Superhydrophobic Coating Materials: Preparation, Strategy and Application (Deadline: 10 April 2025)
- Fabrication and Properties of Functional Coatings under Extreme Conditions (Deadline: 20 April 2025)
- Advanced Science and Technology of Thin Film Deposition (Deadline: 20 April 2025)